Means for making woven wire or screen netting



April 12, 1949. J. w. ALLAN 2 MEANS FOR MAKING WOVEN WIRE OR SCREEN NETTING Filed June 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 &

April 12, 1949- J. w. ALLAN 2,467,072

MEANS FOR MAKING WOVEN WIRE OR SCREEN NETTING Filed June 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 12, 1949 MEANS FOR MAKING WOVEN WIRE R SCREEN NETTING am. William Allan, Germiston, Transvaal, Union of South Africa Application June 3, 1966, Serial No. 673,914 In the Union of South Africa June 22, 1945 4 Claims. (Cl. 13953) This invention relates to or consists of means or looms for making woven wire or screen netting of a special design. The means according to the invention can be incorporated in the structure of looms made especially for the production of the improved product, or be applied to existing either hand or power looms.

The object of the invention is to desi n and construct a suitable loom structure adapted to produce the said wire or screen netting which improvement can, if desired, be applied to existing looms which can easily be altered or adapted to incorporate'the improvements necessary for the manufacture of such netting.

The improved wire netting made by the loom or means according to the invention, includes longitudinal or warp wires each zig-zagging or being offset laterally alternately in opposite directions, alternating warp wires being oppositely offset to the intermediate warp wires, and crossing or passing either over both or under both adjacent warp intermediate wires at the angles or bends, so as to form substantially diamond shaped spaces or openings between adjacent wires, and transverse. or weft wires passing under the lower warp wires and over the upper warp wires and through the loops formed where they intersect or cross; such weft wires and warp wires serving mutually to lock or secure each other at the intersections. The weft wires may be suitably crimped to enhance their locking effect.

The means or loom according to the invention for manufacturing the improved netting, includes suitably actuated heddles upper and lower or heddie bars having members constructed, preferably at their ends, with eyes to take and guide the warp wires, said members extending downwardly from the upper heddle and upwardly from the lower heddle. The heddles are actuated to move them vertically in opposite directions, so as to move them towards one another and separate or move them away from one another alternately, such movement ensuring the members having the eyes moving apart sufilciently at the separating vertical movement of the heddles to allow of transverse movement of the warp wires between them.

The loom also includes means for moving the heddles transversely to a suitable extent in alternately opposite directions at the end of each separating vertical movement of the heddles. Suitable preferably shuttle means will be provided for introducing the weft wires in the sheds formed by the heddles when separated. A reed is employed to push or move the weft wires into the sheds and is adapted to be moved backwards when the heddles are separated and forwards when they approach, and also transversely, synchronizing with the transverse movement of the one and preferably lower heddle. The reed is provided with comblike or upstanding fingers preferably spaced so as to accommodate a wire of each heddle between adjacent fingers.

The invention will be more fully described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein a practical embodiment of the invention and the product made thereby are illustrated. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of portion of a loom for the manufacture of the wire netting or the like shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1, with the top plate removed. r

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fi 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are end elevation and front elevation respectively, illustrating a form of the heddles and members having eyes for the warp wires, and a method of arranging the latter on the heddles, and

Fig. 6 is a plan of a piece of the wire scree netting made by the loom according to the invention.

In Figs. 1 to 3, depicting portion of the loom, the numeral l designates the foundation or base, and 2 pedestals which carry sqrare pillars 3 upon -which the heddles move up and down to form the sheds, indicated by the dotted lines a in Fig. 3. The pillars 3 are reduced at their upper ends at 4, and are connected at the top by a top plate or beam 5, having holes therein to take said upper ends l.

6 is the upper heddle or heddle bar, and I the lower heddle or heddle bar. The heddles 6 and I are arranged so that they can move up and down, and also move or slide laterally or transversely, in blocks or elements 1, 8, respectively, which are slidably arranged on the. square pillars 3. The means for reciprocating the heddles through the medium of the blocks or elements 1*, 8. is shown in the form of eccentrics 9 which actuate the blocks 1, and eccentrics in which actuate the blocks 8. ii are the combined eccentric straps and rods on eccentrics 9, and i2 those on eccentrics iii. The eccentric rods ii are shown pivotally attached to bars l3, extending downwardly from the blocks i by screws l4, and the eccentric rods l2 are pivotally attached directly to the blocks 8 by screws IS. The eccentrics 9 and it. are fixed upon and rotated by a longitudinal countershaft l6, journalled in hearings in the pedestals 2. The'shaft I6 hasa spur wheel I1 and thereon which is driven by a spur wheel I8 of the same size as and meshing and work in planes side by side, and are constructed or provided, the one, 6, with members.

22 having eyes 26 for warp wires at their lower ends and extending from the bar downwardly, and the other, 1, with members 23 having eyes 26 for warp wires at their upper ends and extending from the bar upwardly. No means is shown for attaching the members 22, 23, to the heddles 6, 1, in Figs. 1 to 3, but in Figs. 4 and I show a practical method of attaching them. In'these Figs. the members (22, 23,) are each made of a piece of fiat metal 24 bent or doubled and, as shown, having a plate or spacer piece 25 fixed within the doubled portion and extending to within a short distance of the doubled end so as to leave the openingor eye 26 between it and said doubled end to receive the warp wire -not shownwhich slides-throughit. The members 22, 23, each have a square hole in their outer end portions to receive a square shaft 28 or heddle bar, and spacer pieces 21 are arranged between the doubled portions upon the shaft 28. Further spacer pieces 21 are provided which are also formed with square holes and are threaded on the shaft 28 between adjacent members not 23 to maintain the latter spaced at the requisite distance apart.

The heddles 6, I, at or near the end of the one and separating stroke or movement vertically are adapted to be moved laterally or transversely alternately in opposite directions, and suitably actuated means are provided for that purpose. The actuating means for such lateral movement of each heddle causes it to move first in one direction and then in the other in each case preferably to the extent of one-half of the width of the mesh of the wire netting. The means for effecting this movement is shown consisting of a small spur wheel 28* on the driving shaft I9 which meshes with and drives a spur wheel 29, twice its diameter, mounted on a countershaft 30, journalled in pedestal bearings 3|, and having a heart-shaped cam 32 fixed on its outer end. The cam 32 is adapted to move a rack 33, arranged in a casing 34, against a helical spring 35 arranged in said casing 34. The shape and arrangement of the cam 32 is such that the rack 33 is moved alternately in opposite directions at or near the end of each separating stroke of the heddles 6, 1. The rack 33 meshes with and drives or oscillates a toothed wheel 36 fixed on a vertical shaft 31, journalled in bearings in the foundation I and top plate or beam 5. On the shaft 31 are also fixed long upper and lower toothed wheels 38, 39, respectively, which mesh with racks 40, 4|, on the heddle bars 6, 1, respectively, and act to move such bars alternately in opposite transverse directions upon rotation of the toothed wheel 36 by the rack 33. The long wheels 38, 39, permit the racks 40, 4|, to remain in mesh with the wheels 38, 39, respectively, when the heddles 6, 1, are moved up and down.

The shuttles or the like-not shownwhich carry the transverse or weft wires are preferably caused to pass through the sheds formed when the heddles 6, 1, most nearly approach each other.

The reed for pushing or moving the weft wires into position in the sheds, is indicated by the numeral '42. It is caused to move forward in the shed after the shuttle has takenthe weft wire through, and then acts to move said wire to the required distance from the previously arranged transverse or weft wire. It is kept in position against the weft wire until the heddles '6, 1, have moved apart to ensure the war wires locking the weft wire in position. It is thereafter moved backwards on its pivot or fulcrum shaft 43. The heddles 6, 1, are then moved laterally, and thereafter moved in the direction of each other. Means are provided to move the reed 42 transversely to synchronize with the transverse movement of the lower heddle 1. The reed 42 at its upper end is in the form of a comb, or includes a frame 44 carrying within it upstanding fingers or members 45 forming spaces or. open-ended slots 46 between them to receive the warp wires. The fingers 45 are tapered or pointed at the top to ensure their guiding the warp wires into the slots 46 between them, upon the wires returning to the slots 46 after leaving them due to the relative movement of the heddles 6 and 1.

The fulcrum shaft 43 is journalled in two bearings 41 fixed to the foundation I. The frame 44 of the reed 42 is pivotally carried by two members or straps 48 mounted on the pivot shaft 43.

The means for moving the reed 42 forwards to move the weft .wires into the sheds includes cams 49 on the driving shaft I9, so shaped as to elements 5| are constructed with square rod portions 54 which work in square holes in bosses 55 formed on the reed straps 48. Springs 56 are arranged around the rod portions 54 between the shoulders formed by the bifurcated portions of the elements 5| and the bosses 55, which act to keep the straps 48 tightly in contact with the cams 49. The rollers 52, when the reed 42 moves transversely, roll in contact with the pedestals 58 and in grooves or recesses 51 formed therein.

The means for ensuring synchronous transverse movement of the reed 42 with the lower heddle 1 includes a toothed wheel 58 on the vertical shaft 31, and an arm or lever 59, toothed at both ends at 68 and 6|, and mounted centrally on a pivot pin 62 fixed to the foundation I.

The arm or lever 58 meshes at one end 68 with the toothed wheel 58, and at the other end 6| meshes with a correspondingly grooved wheel or member 63 fixed upon the end of the pivot shaft 43. This arrangement ensures that the pivot shaft 43 will move transversely in the same direction as and synchronously with the lower heddle 1, the rack 4| on which is in mesh with the lon wheel 39 on the shaft 31, and said pivot shaft 43 will carry the attached reed 42 with it, during which movement the rollers 52 will roll in the grooves or recesses 51 in the pedestals 50.

In Fig. 6 a piece of the improved screen netting is illustrated. In this Fig., 64 denotes one group of or the alternating zig-zag warp wires, and

65 the intermediate zig-zag warp wires or those zig-zagging in the opposite directions to the wires 64 and passing under them at the points b of cross oier or intersection. 66 are the weft wires which, as shown, pass over the warp wires 64 and under the warp wires 65, and through the loops formed by and between them. This arrangement ensures that the warp wires 64 and 65 and the weft wires 66 act mutually to interlock one another at the cross over points -b.

The motions of the loom as shown in Figs. 1

to 3 may be described as follows: The top heddle 6 is lowered and the bottom one I raised, and the cross wire or weft 66 passed through the shed, see Fig. 3, in front of the reed 42. The weft wire is then moved forward in the shed by the reed 42 to the required distance by forward movement of the latter. The reed 42 then remains in that position while the top heddle 6 is raised and the bottom one I lowered to form the opposite shed, when it is returned to its back position. The top heddle 6 is then .moved half the width of the mesh to the left, and the bottom heddle 1 and reed 42 move together the same distance to the right. The top heddle 6 is then low the warp wires in the eyes to be moved laterally, means for moving the heddles transand long toothed wheels mounted on the vertical shaft and engaging at opposite sides with the racks on the heddles.

3. Means for making woven wire netting, including upper and lower oppositely vertically reciprocating heddles, means for reciprocating said heddles, members carried by each of said heddles and having eyes through which the warp wires pass, these members on the upper heddle projecting downwardly and those on the lower heddle projecting upwardly, said upper and lower members being moved away from each other,

- when the heddles move apart, sufllclently to allow the warp wires in the eyes to be moved lowered and the bottom one I raised to form 1 the opposite shed.- The cross wire or weft 66 is again passed through the shed and then moved forward in the shed upon forward movement of the reed 42. The top heddle 6 is then the above-described sequence of movements continued.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for making woven wire netting, including upper and lower oppositely vertically reciprocating heddles, means for reciprocating said heddles, members carried by each of said heddles and having eyes through whichthe warp wires pass, those members on the upper heddle projecting downwardly and those on the lower heddle projecting upwardly, said upper and lower members being moved away from each other, when the heddles move apart, sufficiently to allow the warp wires in the eyes to be moved laterally, means for moving the heddles transversely in alternately opposite directions at the end of each separating movement of said heddles. a reed, means for rocking the reed, and means for moving the reed transversely synchronously with one of the heddles, the means for rocking the reed including a rocker shaft on which the reed is mounted, cams for moving the reed and providing for a period of rest at both ends of the stroke thereof, stationary stop means, and spring means acting on and between the stationry stop means and the reedto keep the latter in contact with the cams. q

2. Means for making woven wire netting, including upper and lower oppositely vertically reciprocating heddles, means for reciprocating said heddles, members carried by each of said heddles and having eyes through which the warp wires pass, those members on the upper heddle projecting downwardly and those on the lower heddle projecting upwardly. said upper and lower members being moved away from each other. when the heddles move apart, sufliciently to allaterally, means for moving the heddles transversely in alternately opposite directions at the end of each separating movement of said heddles, a reed, means for rocking the reed, and means for moving the reed transversely synchronously with one of the heddles, including a vertical shaft, a toothed wheel on the vertical shaft, a pivoted lever toothed at opposite ends and meshing at one end with the toothed wheel, a rocker shaft on which the reed is mounted, and a grooved wheel on the rocker shaft with which the other end of the toothed lever engages.

4. Means for making woven wire netting, including upper and lower oppositely vertically reciprocating heddles, means for reciprocating said heddles, members carried by the heddles A and each attached to a heddle at one and the outer end and being constructed with an eye at the other and inner end, through which av with one of the heddles.

JAMES WILLIAM ALLAN.

REFERENCES crrEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

